TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bouncken, Ricarda B.
A1  - Cesinger, Beate
A1  - Tiberius, Victor
T1  - Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy of top managers
BT  - can entrepreneurial orientation secure performance?
JF  - International journal of entrepreneurial venturing
N2  - Numerous studies show that high levels of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) in firms positively influence firm performance. Yet, high levels of Dark Triad (DT) traits - narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy - of managers might work detrimental to EO. Our study empirically tests if top managers who score high on Dark Triad traits have a negative influence on firm performance, reducing the merits of EO. Results of a survey study on 191 firms show that all three dimensions of the DT, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, suppress the positive effects that EO has on firm performance. Accordingly, selfish behaviour, emotional coldness, propensity for duplicity, and top managers' quest for self promotion, status, and dominance lead to behaviour that reduces the positive influences around innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking of EO.
KW  - dark triad
KW  - entrepreneurial orientation
KW  - firm performance
KW  - Machiavellianism
KW  - narcissism
KW  - psychopathy
KW  - upper echelons
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1504/ijev.2020.107932
SN  - 1742-5360
SN  - 1742-5379
VL  - 12
IS  - 3
SP  - 273
EP  - 302
PB  - Inderscience Enterprises
CY  - Geneva
ER  -